Mourning Sham

Maha and Leila have been friends for years, but they have not seen each other since they studied together at University of Damascus five years ago. As the war in Syria encroaches on their lives, and the lives of their families, they find solace in rekindling friendships from happier times. Together, they care for their own families while looking for ways to do more, sending food and clothing to families in Damascus who have lost their homes, then developing a global advocacy campaign for non-combatants who have been captured.

Mourning Sham is a tale of hope and renewed friendship in a context of war, conflict and drastic social change. It explores the role of women in political revolution and the growing role of technology in organizing and activism. Women around the world struggle to balance their duty to family and self, with their aspirations to serve their communities. Maha and Leila do the same, but in a context where the stakes are particularly high.